


Black and Blue

by runningondreams



Category: Avengers (Comics), Marvel 616
Genre: Blood and Injury, Caretaking, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-01 22:21:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17252450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/runningondreams/pseuds/runningondreams
Summary: Tony is injured on Avenger’s business. Steve helps care for his wounds.





	Black and Blue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cap iron man community](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=cap+iron+man+community).



> For the Cap-Iron Man community gifts prompt: “616 - Steve bandaging Tony’s injuries.”
> 
> * * *

Tony’s just wrenching the last, warped piece of the armor off his leg when Steve comes marching down the hallway. Tony can see him in the security feed: still in uniform, head down and shoulders set, every movement an expression of pent-up energy. 

He sends the release code to the door, wincing as the motion drags open the cut on his left forearm. No point in making Steve punch in his access on his own.

Steve pauses in the doorway, apparently just staring at him. Tony looks down at himself. He’s bleeding through the underarmor, little spots of blood slowly spreading over the gold on his arm. There’s some on his lower calf, too.

“It’s not bad,” he assures Steve. 

Steve drags his cowl off his face. He seems suddenly tired. “You’re bleeding, Tony. The whole point of wearing armor is that you don’t end up bleeding. And it _looked_ bad.”

“I think I may have . . . made some miscalculations with the new alloy,” Tony admits. “It should have been able to handle Doom.”

He pulls at the tiny zippers and drags the undersuit off bit by bit. After the first section Steve sets aside his gloves and lends a hand. 

“Ow,” Tony hisses as the fabric pulls away from the cut along his left arm. Steve makes a noise that’s somewhere between a sigh and a grunt and takes Tony’s wrist between his hands. He turns Tony’s arm gently, inspecting the wound.

“Not deep enough for stitches,” he pronounces. “But you might want to limit how much you move it. If you can.”

They both know Tony isn’t good at _not_ using his hands.

“I think the leg’s mostly bruised.” Tony _hopes_ his leg is mostly bruised. He has to sit down and let Steve pull the undersuit the rest of the way off to actually get a good look at it.

Sitting in his underwear while Steve kneels in front of him, while Steve _undresses him_ , should be sexy. Especially with Steve in uniform. Tony’s had fantasies about that.

His current reality is decidedly unsexy. His leg his starting to ache rather a lot.

“This one’s shallower,” Steve confirms. “But you’re going to bruise pretty badly.” He levels a serious expression at Tony. “You up for an ice bath?”

The noise that escapes Tony’s mouth is embarrassing and possibly inhuman. _Ice bath_. It might be more torture than just living with the bruise. Maybe. The look Steve’s giving him, he kind of doubts it. He clears his throat.

“If I have to.”

“I think you do,” Steve confirms. “Unless you _want_ to be in fairly constant pain for the next few weeks.”

Been there, done that.

“We should take care of the cut on your arm first though.”

He stands and strides over to the first aid cabinet. Tony feels unexpectedly exposed, left alone on the bench. He’s been naked in his lab before. For fun and more by accident. He’s been naked with _Steve_ before, also for fun and by accident. Both multiple times. But he’s never been naked with Steve _in his lab_ before. 

He’s not even naked now, but he feels like he is. 

Steve returns with an armful of supplies and dumps them on the desk beside Tony.

“Drink this.” He presses a water bottle into Tony’s right hand, then takes it back to open the cap before Tony can try to.

Tony puts his left arm up on the desk for easy access and takes a drink. When he’s finished the bottle Steve hands him another. 

“This might sting,” Steve warns him. It does. Tony winces through Steve irrigating the cut and hisses through his teeth when Steve dabs it with peroxide. But Steve’s hands are gentle and sure, and it isn’t long before he’s pressing a long strip of layered gauze into place and taping it lightly down. The cut on Tony’s calf is easier, needing little more than disinfecting and a waterproof bandage. 

Steve stays crouched down at Tony’s feet for a moment. He lets out a slow breath and leans into Tony’s good leg, letting his forehead rest on Tony’s knee.

“Steve?” Tony touches his hair tentatively. “ _You_ didn’t get injured, right? You’re not going to just collapse on me here?”

“I’m fine.” Steve sighs and leans back. “Just tired. And there was a second there--” He shakes his head. “I’m glad you’re mostly okay,” he amends. 

“I’m glad I’m mostly okay too.” Tony reaches out with his right hand, but Steve’s just out of reach. “Are you . . .” he’s not sure how he wants to finish the question.

Steve squeezes his fingers and lets go. He stands.

“Come on,” he says, offering his shoulder as a support. “We should get that ice bath started if it’s going to do any good.”

Tony lets Steve haul him to his feet. And if he leans into Steve on the way to the lab facilities a little more than he really needs to, if he talks too much, well. Steve doesn’t complain. His arm around Tony’s waist is warm and solid, and his steps are firm and steady.

They’re okay.

This time, they’re okay.


End file.
